Random Acts of Poetry Day

When the random acts' initiative started everyone was encouraged to spread good cheer with by performing random acts of kindness wherever possible. The movement spread and "Choosing Kind" became a familiar mantra. 

Choosing kind finds a home in a new campaign this coming week. Did you know that there is a Random Acts of Poetry Day? It is the first Wednesday in October every year. This year it falls on October 7, 2015. Why not take the time to engage in random acts of poetry in schools, homes, or in communities? Your part in the movement might bring joy into the lives of others and brighten their days. 

BE INFORMED:

Tweetspeak Poetry is hosting the day. As it says, "Random Acts of Poetry Day is about painting poetry in the public square, either literally or figuratively." You can follow Tweetspeak Poetry on Twitter at @tspoetry and on instagram with tspoetry. If you want to share random acts of poetry with Tweetspeak you can use the hashtag #rapoetryday. People are already tweeting at #randomactsofpoetry.

CELEBRATE:

On October 7th, let's celebrate poetry and send it out around the world through Twitter, chalking poetry on sidewalks, pinning a poem to a fence, storefront, subway station, or creating a travelogue of inspiration. 

ENGAGE:

• Create handwritten poems, single digital inspirations, or poetry galleries as creative expressions to let the others see the power of language, the arts, and voice as expressive methods of communication.

• Write Twitter poetry in 140 characters (referred to as twihaiku or micropoetry). "Each root of church yew/ reaches a skull:/ mistletoe/ for kissing above." Ian Dugih

• Use picture prompts, such as nature photography, photographs of children involved with school activities, or artwork to pen a micropoem.

• Design a poster to celebrate Random Acts of Poetry Day. See posters from Tweetspeak.

MY OFFERINGS:

I will send this twihaiku in a digital format out to the Twittersphere.

A poster for Random Acts of Poetry Day

Will you join me in celebrating Random Acts of Poetry Day? Also if further inspired, join my creative challenge to find fall this season in your locale. Create a digital inspiration for Autumn's Palette Gallery that I am designing. Then, send it on to me. 

Please turn your attention now to the Poetry Friday Round-Up hosted by Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe. Heidi is welcoming all to the diversiverse edition of Poetry Friday. 

A Butterfly's Flight

As breeze washed the Long Island shore today, I watched the seagulls swoon and dip above the sand. Some gazed longingly into the sea, mesmerized by the roaring waves. The sound of sea splashings under the summer sun lulled me into a reflective state. I drifted back to a Cape May summer day when my husband and I watched the dance of a speckled butterfly. She pranced daintily in mid-air, wings not as lengthy as the gulls along the shore, but nonetheless noteworthy. Upon her descent, the butterfly gracefully landed in the deep green foliage of a magenta blossom. With swift control my camera clicked again and again as the butterfly allowed me to capture her beauty. 

The precision landing of the lovely creature of the air reminded me of our flight in life? Sometimes, we sweep through the stretches of life looking for rest. Sometimes, we land precisely where we want to be. Other times, we search a long time looking for a specific destination.

Thinking about the sea and butterflies while gathering resources for an upcoming professional development program, I found a delightful Emily Dickinson poem. The opening line is a beautiful description of today on Long Island.  

A Soft Sea Washed Around The House

by Emily Dickinson

A soft sea washed around the house,
A sea of summer air,
And rose and fell the magic planks
That sailed without a care.
For captain was the butterfly,
For helmsman was the bee,
And an entire universe
For the delighted crew.

Please visit Heidi Mordhurst's site, my juicy little universe, for today's Poetry Friday Round-up. She is delighting us with a whimsical poem about holding on to summer days. 

SPECIAL NOTICES:

I am collecting digital poems embedded in images for the gallery I am designing, Summer Splashings. Please send your offering to me by the end of August. You can access the invitation to the gallery here and view the trailer that I created here. 

I have been alerted to those without a Google account cannot leave a comment. This site is enabled for public comments so if you wish to leave a comment and cannot, please send one to my Twitter handle at @cvarsalona. I was also told that switching search engines may work. I use Chrome. 

Hatching a Plan

Today, March 21, 2015, marks the end of the winter season. Remember the statement, March comes in like a lion and walks out like a lamb? Well, March did come in roaring like a lion but is not ready to walk out gracefully. It still wants to roar. 

This week, I traveled north to Albany, NYS' capitol to attend a curriculum conference. Although I saw green grass and only a little vestige of snow, I was greeted with whipping winds and dipping temperatures. On a humorous note, this morning the Albany weatherman apologized for his weather report. Tomorrow is the first day of spring but in reality it appears to be a throwback to winter. Snow is coming back to dust the earth. Winter seems to be quite the trickster this year, wouldn't you agree?

Now, as I prepare for one more smack of snow, I am hatching a plan to continue to remain positive about Mother Nature and Mr. Winter. I will give myself the gift of time to design the Gallery of Winter Whisperings since I am attending a conference and the artistic expressions are still coming in.

It's time to hatch a golden plan,

not with silly green eggs and ham.

Try poetry and photos - Shazam! -

an artistic venture of grand purport

to stretch imaginations and transport

minds to wander, recalling winter bliss

while not thinking of wind's bitter kiss.

Indeed!

Winter entered with quite a roar, held court,

and listened intently to many a loud retort. 

Now, it transitions to yet another spring.

When will I hear the sweet robin sing?

This post is dedicated to three blogging sites that provide an avenue for me to be expressive. Please move over to the following sites to read a variety of perspectives as winter transitions to spring. 

Poetry Friday hosted by Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core.

Day 20 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge on Two Writing Teachers.

Heidi Mordhorst's Forward...March Challenge at my juicy little universe where the word of the day is hatch. 

Be a Difference Maker

In this world ridden with fast-paced change, high stress factors, and issues of outcome, productivity, and accountability, difference makers are the thought leaders, the champions, the mentors, and the guides to organizational and systemic change. There is much buzz in social media about the role of leaders and the importance of affecting change. Positive thinking, open-minded leaders push beyond the norm, the comfort zone. This poem is dedicated to those who are change agents and those who wish to make a difference in this 21st century world. They are those who dare to be the game changers who do not settle for the status quo in order to positively impact their professional world.

Who are these 21st Century difference makers? 

Difference makers are 
  ordinary human beings, 
  true to themselves, 
  ethical individuals who 
  are not hindered by egocentrism.
They are the men and women
  who feel the rhythm of life's balance,
  the pulse beat of positivity,
  and the energy of serving others.

How do they engage in their daily tasks?

They live in the present, 
  envisioning avenues of change
  to move gingerly forward,
  always with reflective action.
Creatively they problem solve
  in the midst of mild chaos
  or internal discord.
They lead with clarity of thought
  and model collaborative energy.
Lifework and teamwork are 
  promoted and encouraged.

Why do we need difference makers?

Difference makers are 
  the change agents, 
  the thought provocateurs,
  the prophets of positivity,
  the guides to tomorrow,
  and the leaders of today.
They are strong individuals 
  who do not stand in 
  waters of mediocrity, 
  polluted by the 
  stagnation of negativity.
They dare to be courageous,
  leaders with a growth mindset,
  promoting positive thinking
  in the workplace.
They are the purposeful managers,
  the visionaries who understand 
  the function of missteps   
  with reflective action
  as the steppingstones on 
  the path to successful change.

What makes a difference maker stand out as a courageous champion of change?

Grit and resilience-
strength of character-
vision, creative problem solving- 
communication, and collaboration- 
these ingredients must exist
amongst other traits.
The recipe can't be botched.
These skills and traits are necessary 
for learners to lead and transfer
knowledge as they assess,
apply, and move forward on 
the road to applicable change. 

Why is there a pressing urgency for a flank of difference makers?

Difference makers are 
  needed to change the tides of
  fear, status quo, and comfort zones.
   ©CVarsalona, 2019

Difference makers are growing in numbers 

across the globe

and across occupations.

Stand tall as one of many individuals

who has the power to make a difference!

This post is written in response to two challenges:

• Day 18 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge at Two Writing Teachers.

• Heidi Mordhorst's Forward...March Ch Poetry Challenge at my juicy little universe with the word botch as today's word (the "ch" words, change and chaos, are woven into the poem).

Digital Learning Day 2015

It's Digital Learning Day - Celebrate innovation!

Digital platforms are the rage

Social media - the ultimate stage

Tweeters and bloggers communicate 

threaded thoughts, timely, up-to-date.

Tech equity, a newly coined phrase

with many questions to be raised,

supports students' learning style

in a digital world that makes them smile.

Tonight's blog post is dedicated to three blogging sites that provide an avenue to extend digital learning. 

At Poetry Friday, writers, bloggers, and book lovers come together as a community to showcase their writing or that of others. Please travel to Laura Shovan's site, Author Amok, for this week's Poetry Friday.

At Two Writing Teachers the March Slice of Life Story Challenge is on Day 13. 

At Heidi Mordhorst's site, my juicy little universe, Forward...MarCH Challenge, Day 13's word is arch. Here is tonight's offering.

Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY

Oh, impressive arch,

you stand regally as a connector.

Your massive structure

with old world feel, greets each day,

not as a landing platform for pigeons 

but as a gateway to possibilities.

As a separator from a noisy city,

your arched style graces Park Slope.

Visitors stand in awe of your grandeur-
stories told of your life as a Beaux-arts monument,

Brooklyn's own version of the Arc de Triomphe.

Regally and royally, you

recall a bygone time and herald in
the revival of old world Brooklyn.

Oh, historic monument how impressive
you remain as a landmark point of interest
to travelers, tourists, and New York City residents.
As a backdrop for weddings and market vendors,
you represent what used to be and
what is coming back to a borough of old world charm.

Discover Life's Possibilities

Recently, the #DareToBe community explored the topic, Dream Big. During the threaded conversation, I stated, "We can discover a myriad of possibilities that await us in life." While this is true, the add on is if we have faith and hold positive intentions we can walk along a path of discovery leading to a more balanced, hopeful life. 

In the early morning rush, travelers move 

cautiously along pre-determined routes.

With focused thought, they cross onto

stilled avenues of pavement where branches

tipped with snow-glazed wonder gracefully bend.

It is here, where rubber meets the road, that

travelers greet the stillness of morning,

pushing beyond nights' dreams to enter

the open space of endless possibilities.

Belief in the impossible is what dreams are made of. Dreams open pathways to discover a world yet to be, an evolving one that opens doors when doors may close. It is in the routine of life that we dive into another space that leads us to self-fulfillment and a deeper look at where we are going.

As winter transitions to spring

daily routes covered with salt,

give way to patches of cleared pavements.

Travelers listen to the rhythm of the road,

as they direct their attention to the day's beat.

Routine guides the breaking dawn and 

hope drives the ascending dream. 

Snow frozen embarkments swept

to the shoulder leave clear spaces 
 as people travel to their destinations.

Holding on to dreams is not easy in the light of challenges that come our way but if we do, we will discover possibilities as we transverse the byways of life. We can become designers of our journey with faith as our guide, but we must be observant and respectable of others as we frame out thoughtful days.

Driver's eyes look forward while turning 

here and there to avoid slips and slides.

Some cars fly by disregarding

common rules of the road

meant to protect travelers.

Some drivers stretch for devices,

others honk hones.

The cacophony of sounds grows

louder as cars enter and pass,

but the highway calls for consistent,

continued travel onward despite

conditions or distracting moments.

Each day, we awake to the routines of life. Within the limits of normal daily life there are moments that break the routine. When these occur, it is time to dive into our faith that guides us and leads us onward.

The road beckons travelers on to follow

their route toward a clear end, 

but life is uncertain and changeable.

What starts out as a routine drive

may end unexpectedly so allow

detours to lead to new adventures,

roadblocks to patient pondering,

and weather changes to a resolve

that nature has its determinants.

We move on but there are times 

we falter in our pursuit of dreams. 

Within the long stretch toward your 

desired route, be open to a Voice

that leads you on this journey of life

so that you dream a dream

each and every day.

With eyes focused on goals,

make each mile an open path

to positive change

for dreams are the pillows 

of our sleep upon which 

we build tomorrows.

Embrace the adventure called life. 

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

Walk in God's strength along the highway of life for His "word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path." (Psalm 119:105)  Discover life's possibilities that can turn into probabilities with persistent travel.

Concluding Poem

So let me pitch an inviting plea 

to find the road to positivity

and discover what falls along your way

that allows one new discovery each and every day.

This combined prose, poetry, and audio piece is written in response to three challenges:

1. Day 12 of the Slice of Life Story Challenge found at Two Writing Teachers. 
2. Spiritual Journey Thursday, a faith-based community of bloggers guided by Holly Mueller. We  are celebrating each other's one little words for 2015. This week, Jaana's OLW, discover, is the topic. (All of the bloggers' OLWs are underlined in the poem I created.)
3. Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe has a 20 poem Forward...MarCH Challenge for this month. Today's word is pitch. 

When My Writing Space Needs an Intervention

Cluttered chaos is what I call my office space. Stacks of books (favorites and ones to be read) sit amidst writing tools. Also, piled into my tiny office space are a variety of folders in different colors and many notes that need sorting. I would like to call this my haven but as the piles grow my space lessens. At various times, I get the urge to neaten up the space and do so with vigor. I step back and feel the pride that swells from a sense of balance but as days go on and my thoughts move in different directions, my clutter accumulates again-to the point of hair pulling. That is when I know my writing space needs an intervention. I am at that particular point right now, especially since Bonnie Kaplan created a lovely video, Where do You Slice in March 2015?, in which slicers showed their writing spaces. Perhaps after an intervention, I will be able to post a photo of my space.

Here is an interesting add on to my cleaning dilemma: one year ago today, I wrote the following opener to a post called, "Frustration Comes in Bundles": When feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and frustrated, take a step back and breathe. A poem accompanied the post. I totally forgot about this writing until a Twitter colleague, Jennifer Hayhurst sent me a comment here. Isn't this uncanny that I would have similar feelings exactly one year later?

Today starts a new day of sorting (I'm ready to tackle this), organizing (this task will add on layers of clutter but it is worth it) and continued writing (smooch is the word of the day to build a poem around for Heidi Mordhorst's March Poetry CHallenge at my juicy little universe). 

While musing about today's word, I recollected how much fun the neighborhood children had during our recent snowstorms. They created wonderful snow people. I thought I would be inventive in keeping with my winter theme so my poem deals with a snow couple. 

Snowman Smooch
My snowman looked so forlorn.
He needed a mate to weather the storm. 
I asked the children down the street
to find a partner for him to meet.
They molded and sculpted a beautiful one.
She came alive in the morning sun.
Then, her heart quickly melted away
as Snowman gave her a smooch that day.

Adapted from 123rf.com

To read more slices for Day 11 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge, please go to Two Writing Teachers.

Listen to Write

Since the beginning of January, I have been allowing my one little word, listen, to guide my learning life. It is surprising how many twists and turns my OLW has taken me on in such a short time. Because I am still designing the Gallery of Winter Whisperings filled with different perspectives of winter, my thoughts have been centered around the positives of the winter season. I have been listening to the sounds of nature to crystalize thoughts into poetic pieces. With this in mind, I decided to challenge myself with a new writing format, the tanka. 

Tanka poems are short, five-line poems that originated almost 1200 years ago in the Japanese culture. The translation of the word tanka is short song. The word listen popped to mind when I read this. Then, I remembered that my blogger/writer friend, Michelle H. Barnes sent out a ditty challenge to write a tanka poem this month. I coupled Michelle's challenge with Heidi Mordhorst's MarCH Poetry challenge of the day on the word sketch. After many attempts to write a tanka, I have an offering. Since I like to reflect, I engaged in a mental checklist to see which parts of the tanka format I achieved. 

✓ five-line poem

✓ kept to the line pattern of short-long-short-long-long 

✓ centered the poem on nature and a season 

?  attempted to create a change in perception from examining an image to examining a               personal response to the scene

I added an image as my personal brand to capture the stillness of the scene both in words and image. A quote from Margarita Engle on Michelle's blog affirmed my desire to capture winter poetically. 

Seek the resonance that enters a poem only when it is touched by the stillness of nature.

To enhance Heidi's challenge, I altered an original photo to give it the feel of an artist's well-developed sketch, using PicMonkey.

Listen to Yuki, a traditional children's song in Japan that tells a story of snowfall.

To round off today's challenges, I am including this post in Day 10 of the Slice of Life Story Challenge at Two Writing Teachers. Stroll over there to read other slices of the day.